1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an equine saddle, and more particularly, to a self adjusting saddle tree which facilitates the adaptation thereof for a variety of horses"" shoulders and/or backs. Such a saddle tree is capable of flexing with the movement of a horse to preclude interference with the shoulders and the back of the horse during the movement thereof.
2. Background Art
Equine saddles and, therefore, saddle trees have been known in the art for several years. A saddle tree may comprise a variety of materials including wood, fiberglass, rawhide, and/or combinations of these materials. For heavy duty use, such as cattle roping and the like, a saddle with a rawhide-covered tree remains the preferred material. However, modem saddle trees generally comprise fiberglass or fiberglass-covered wood.
Conventional equine saddles typically comprise leather pieces positioned upon a saddle tree. A conventional saddle tree typically comprises a base, a fork, a horn, and a cantle.
The base may include a pair of long, relatively narrow bar elements, each having a proximal and a distal end. The bar elements are generally positioned to extend longitudinally along the back of the horse from front to back, along either side of the spine.
The fork member is typically associated with the proximal ends of the bar elements, typically via fasteners such as nails, screws, bolts, and the like.
In conventional saddles, the horn is associated with the middle of the fork. Depending on the particular embodiment, the horn may comprise a separate element which is attached to the fork by nails, screws, bolts, and the like, or, alternatively, it may be integral with the fork.
The cantle is generally associated with the bar elements proximate the distal ends thereof. Similar to the horn, the cantle may be attached to the bar elements through fasteners such as nails, screws, bolts, and the like. The cantle generally forms the back of the saddle tree to, in turn, essentially preclude the rider from slipping off the rear of the saddle.
To complete a saddle, the foregoing saddle tree components are covered with leather, or any comparable material, and additional components, such as a seat cover, ornamentation, cinch straps, and the like may be included.
While the foregoing conventional saddle tree has been utilized for many years, its widespread use remains, to this day, problematic for a plurality of reasons. In particular, the conventional saddle tree is rigid, and, therefore, not readily adjustable to properly fit the dimensions of a horse. Moreover, due to its rigidity, it is not able to compensate for changes to the back of a horse during the movement of the horse. Furthermore, conventional saddles do not have an ability to readily adjust relative to changes which may occur over the lifetime of a horse (i.e., weight gain, weight loss, etcetera).
Moreover, the foregoing conventional saddle tree typically places the weight of the user on relatively small portions of the horse""s back. In particular, such a saddle tree forms a bridge across a horse""s back between the withers and scalpula, toward the front of the horse, and the loins, toward the rear of the horse. In turn, the weight of the saddle and rider rests primarily on four small points, and is not evenly distributed over the horse""s back. As the horse moves, the rider and saddle shift back and forth, changing the pressure points on the horse""s back. Placement of the weight of the rider and saddle on four small points bridged by a rigid saddle tree can restrict the horse""s freedom of movement, and can cause excessive friction and/or stress at these points as the horse""s skin stretches and shrinks due to its changing body shape during movement. Such friction and/or stress may result in sores developing on the body of the horse proximate the four points, leading to irritation and, ultimately, an unridable horse.
While several advances in the field have developed which have provided the employment of new materials such as reinforced rubber material for the bar elements, offering more flexibility, the bar elements still remain rather hard and unforgiving when placed onto the back of a horse. Moreover, the fork of these saddles remains fixed and unadjustable to different shoulder widths. As a result, these improvements have only marginally improved the overall saddle design.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a saddle which conforms to the contours of the horse.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle tree which is capable of substantially accurate adjustment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to improve the freedom of movement of the horse.
Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to improve the distribution of weight of the rider.
These and other objects will become apparent in light of the specification, drawings, and claims appended hereto.
The present invention is directed to a saddle tree comprising: (a) a first and a second side bar, each having a proximal and a distal end; (b) a center bar associated with each of the first and second side bars toward the proximal ends thereof, the center bar structurally configured to provide torsional flexibility, to, in turn, permit the first and second side bars to move independently of each other; and (c) a base associated with each of the first and second side bars at a second end and the center bar at a first end.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second side bars are structurally configured to provide longitudinal flexibility.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saddle tree further comprises a padding assembly, the padding assembly including a first pad operatively associated with the first side bar and a second pad operatively associated with the second side bar. In this embodiment, the padding assembly preferably comprises a closed cell foam material, and preferably includes a tapered cross-sectional configuration.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base is attached to each of the center bar and the first and second side bars.
The present invention is also directed to a saddle tree comprising: (a) a first and a second side bar, each having a proximal and a distal end, the first and second side bars structurally configured to longitudinally flex upon the application of weight thereto, to, in turn, facilitate the distribution of weight therealong; (b) a center bar associated with each of the first and second side bars toward the proximal ends thereof; and (c) a base associated with each of the first and second side bars at a second end and the center bar at a first end.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saddle tree further comprises a padding assembly associated with each of the first and second side bars. In this embodiment, the padding assembly preferably comprises a first pad and a second pad, the first pad being associated with the first side bar and the second pad being associated with the second side bar. The first and second pads preferably include a tapered cross-section, and preferably comprise a closed cell foam material.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, (a) the center bar includes a central region, a first extension, and a second extension; (b) the base is attached at the first end to the central region of the center bar and at the second end to the distal end of each of the first and second side bars; and (c) the center bar is attached to respective side bars proximate the first extension and second extension thereof.
The present invention is also directed to a saddle tree comprising: (a) a first and a second side bar, each having a proximal and a distal end; (b) a center bar associated with each of the first and second side bars toward the proximal ends thereof, the center bar structurally configured to provide longitudinal flexibility, to, in turn, bow and permit the adjustment of the spacing of the first and second side bars to accommodate the configuration of the horse; and (c) a base associated with each of the first and second side bars at a second end and the center bar at a first end.
Furthermore, the present invention is directed to a saddle comprising: (a) a saddle tree comprising: (1) a first and a second side bar, each having a proximal and a distal end; (2) a center bar associated with each of the first and second side bars toward the proximal ends thereof, the center bar structurally configured to provide both torsional and longitudinal flexibility, to, in turn, permit the first and second side bars to move independently of each other; (3) a base associated with each of the first and second side bars at a second end and the center bar at a first end; (4) a first pad associated with the first side bar; and (5) a second pad associated with the second side bar; and (b) a cover configured to overlayingly engage the first and second side bars and the center bar.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saddle further comprises a seat associated with the base.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saddle further comprises a pommel associated with each of the first and second side bars.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the saddle further comprises a stirrup assembly associated with each of the first and second side bars.
Preferably, the saddle further comprises a billet strap associated with each of the first and second side bars.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover is configured into one of an English, Western, or Australian style.